Whole Foods

Food is essential for optimal physical health, but it is also an integral part of social and emotional health (1). Food fuels the body for energy as well as providing vital nutrients for physiological processes. It brings people together and creates social occasions and an excuse to get together with loved ones.  Food also has the ability to generate strong emotional responses, for instance, the lovely satisfied feeling after a great meal or a delicious piece of chocolate! A healthy diet is an excellent way to maintain an active lifestyle and protect you from potential health problems. It can boost your energy levels, improve body functions, strengthen your immune system and assist in weight maintenance and weight gain.

Food and eating are simply a part of the way people live their lives and are dependent on many factors, including (1);

• Availability/accessibility of food
• Cultural background, values & beliefs about eating and food preparation
• Health or disease status of the individual
• Time available for meal preparation
• Knowledge about healthy food
• Financial status (1).

Healthy eating throughout life can help reduce the risk of many nutrition-related diseases such as cardio-vascular disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity (1).

The total amount of food and nutrients that your body requires depends on your;

• Age
• Gender
• Body size
• Level of physical activity
• Whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding
• Any special dietary needs (1).

Eating a variety of foods every day from the following food groups will help to ensure you obtain the greatest nutritional benefits from the foods you eat for a positive effect on health. They include:

Grains              
Foods include breads, cereals, pasta, noodles and rice (preferably wholegrain) plus corn, barley, couscous & polenta.

These foods provide you with carbohydrates, protein, fibre and many vitamins and minerals such as folate, some B vitamins, thiamin, riboflavin and niacin, and iron (1).

Vegetables
Leaves: spinach, cabbage and lettuce

Roots: carrot, sweet potato, beetroot and turnip

Tubers: potato

Flowers: broccoli and cauliflower

Stems & stalks: celery and asparagus

Botanical fruits: tomato, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and capsicum

Bulbs: garlic

A wide variety of vegetables provide you with an excellent source of vitamins (vitamin C, vitamin A, folate) minerals, dietary fibre and carbohydrates.

According to the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, the nutrients in a variety of vegetables have shown to help prevent some cancers.

Fruits     
Include a wide variety of fruits such as:

• Apples and pears
• Stone fruits, such as nectarines, apricots, peaches and plums
• Citrus fruits, such as oranges and grapefruits
• Tropical fruits such as pineapples, bananas and papaya
• Grapes, both red and green
• Melons, such as rockmelon and honeydew melon
• Berries, such as raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, cranberries and blackberries

Fruit provides many essential nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, some B vitamins and folate. Fruit is also an excellent source of fibre.

Fruit contains carbohydrates in the form of fructose, or fruit sugar.

Dairy Products 
Dairy products include foods that are produced from milk. They include foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt. Dairy products are an excellent source of calcium which is essential for bone and teeth health.

Some individuals can be intolerant to the sugar lactose, which is found in most dairy products. Yogurt and cheese however often contain far less lactose than milk because yogurt contains enzymes to metabolise the lactose and cheese-making and ageing often greatly reduces the amount of lactose found in the cheese.

Alternative products are available that are fortified with calcium. They include soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, rice milk, soy cheese and soy yogurt.

Dairy products contain increased amounts of saturated fats, so choosing  a lower fat variety (except for children under 5 and some people with specialized needs), would be beneficial (1).

‘White’ cheeses such as cottage cheese, ricotta cheese and feta cheese are an excellent lower fat dairy choice.

Meat, Fish & Eggs
Meat, poultry, fish and eggs are an excellent source of protein, vitamin B12, niacin and iron (especially red meats).

Iron from meat is absorbed by the body more easily than iron from plants. Consuming these foods with foods that contain vitamin C will help in the absorption of iron (1).

People who do not eat meat should consult a Dietitian/ Nutritionist to assist them in developing a balanced diet including alternative foods that contain nutrients that they are not obtaining from meat.

Avoid eating the fat and skin from meat and poultry as it contains large amounts of saturated fats.

Nuts, Legumes & Seeds
Nuts: Include walnuts, brazil nuts, almonds, cashew nuts, chestnuts, hazel nuts and peanuts contain monounsaturated fats which have been shown to be protective against many health problems

Shown to be a link with coronary heart disease, lowering of LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol and a general cardio-protective role within the body

Legumes/ pulses include: Alfalfa, clover, lentils, peas, beans and peanuts

High protein content and can be a good substitute for meat.

Low in the protein methionine, therefore consuming grains with them can make up for the lack of this protein.

Seeds include: Sunflower, sesame, pumpkin

Also high in protein and essential fatty acids

Shown to also be cardio-protective, assist with arthritis and help protect against some cancers.

Reference

1.       Australian Government; Department of Health and Aging. Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/Publishing.nsf/Content/health-pubhlth-strateg-food-guide-howto.htm